Grain-shovel



(Np Model.)

J. CLIFF.

GRAIN SHOVEL.

No. 515,112. Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

ATTORNEYS JAMES CLIFF, OF SORIBA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD C. FRADEN- BURG, OF OSWEGO, NEWV YORK.

GRAIN- SHOVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,112, dated February 20, 1894.

Application filed March 28, 1891. Serial 110,386,791. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES CLIFF, of Scriba, 1n the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Shovels, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descrlption.

My invention relates to improvements in scoops for shoveling grain and like materials, and has for its object the production of a simple and eifective device, which is extremely economlcal in manufacture, efficient in use and durable in wear; and to this end the inyention consists, essentially, in a blade having upturned side edges, a central socket or depressed bearing face at the rear of the plate, a head secured to lugs formed upon the rear edge of the blade and provided with a central opening, and a handle inserted through said opening and registered with the socket in the top face of the blade.

The invention still furthermore consists in the detail, construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the claim.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the vlews.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively top plan, side elevation and longitudinal vertical section of my invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line ac-:r-, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on line y 'y, Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the blade and a portion of the handle of a modified form of my invention.

A scoop particularly adapted for shoveling grain and like material must be extremely light in weight, durable in use and capable of supporting a large amount of material. To meet these requirements the blade of my improved scoop is preferably composed of thin material having upturned side edges which constantly increase in height from the front to the rear edge of the scoop, an upturned rear head having a central opening, a socket or depressed bearing in the front face of the blade, and a handle passed through said opening and registered with said socket.

-A represents the blade, which, for the sake of economy and ease in manufacture, is usually composed of sheet metal having upturned side edges a.-, which increase in height. from the front to the rear extremity of the blade. lhe front edge a of the blade is formed in substantially a straight line, and the rear edge a is of less width than the forward, edge -CL'-, thus causing the sides ato swell outwardly between the front and rear edges aand -CL2. At'the central portion of the top face of the blade and extending from its rear edge to substantially the central point thereof is a depressed socket or hearing -B- having side walls bb.

O represents the rear side or head of the scoop, which is preferably composed of wood, and is secured in position by means of nails or other securing means c adapted to pass through said head and lugs c projecting from the rear edge of the blade A.

E represents the handle, the forward extremity of which passes through the opening-13 directly above the socket or recess B, and is registered with said socket, thereby having a bearing against its sides bb extending half the length of the blade, and serving to obviate all liability of independent lateral movement of the blade A A rivet e and a nail e secure the forward extremity of the handle respectively to the central portion of the blade and to the head O.

Upon reference to Figs. 3 and 5 it will be noted that the portion of the handle, which passes through the head O, is rectangular in cross section, and that the opposite extremities of the handle gradually taper from said portion, the forward extremity extending in line with its lower edge and the rearward extremity in line with its upper edge. This handle is usually composed of wood, and a portion of its outer end is sawed or split lengthwise forming the arms E'E', which are held apart at their outward extremity by a brace c and are prevented from splitting at their inner extremity by a band or clip e By the aforesaid construction of the parts the blade is rendered very capacious, the handle has along bearing or securing surcausing the weight to be supported without liability of excessive strain. upon the scoop.

This latter feature is one of great advantage,

since, in order to produce an extremely applicable grain scoop, it must be formed of very light material, and, as heretofore constructed, scoops composed of extremely light material have been very liable to become broken or strained, owing to the difficulty in firmly securing together such light material.

At Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of my invention, in which the blade is formed of a single piece of sheet metal or other suitable material, as wood pulp.

The operation of my scoop will be .readily perceived from the foregoing description and upon reference to the drawings, and it is evident that its construction may be somewhat yaried Without departing fronr the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described scoop, the same consisting of a blade --A having a substantially straight front edge -a'- of greater width than its rear edge and having its side edges aa, inclined upwardly from the front to the rear edge of the blade and having a lengthwise socket or depression B-- arranged between the rear ends of said side edges and extending forwardly from the rear edge of the blade, an upright head O secured to the rear edge of the blade and to the rear ends of its upturned side edges aa and provided with an opening -B therethrough arranged directly above the depression or socket B and extending upwardly from the lower edge of the head O, and a handle E having its front end inserted through said opening and into said depression or socket B and secured to said blade, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attestin g witnesses, at Oswego city, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York,this 11th day of March, 1891.

JAMES CLIFF.

' Witnesses:

CLAYTON R. PARKHURST, EDWARD FRADENBURG. 

